Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will commission an independent financial review of the feasibility of Heathrow expansion.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that any scheme for Heathrow expansion is deliverable and affordable. Last year, the Government undertook a comparative assessment of the proposals, on its individual merits against the published criteria, which included financial considerations. Since this is a private sector project, it is for the potential promoters to develop and finance expansion proposals, and to demonstrate that any scheme is financially viable.